Dictating machine



Oct. 7, 1958 T. L. DINSMORE Y 2,

' DICTATING MACHINE. I

Filed Sept. 7, 195a is ii 6? i; 59 68 11V 10 Acsum AME-05c. m 69 100 4INVENTOR. 1720mm L. Dfzumare United States Patent 2,855,205 DICTATINGMACHINE Application September 7, 1956, Serial No; 608,454 Claims. (Cl.274-21) This invention relates to dictating machines and moreparticularly to the mechanisms provided in such machines for enablingthe dictator to listen back to selected portions of his recordeddictation. The invention is in some respects a modification of myinvention disclosed in my pending application Serial No. 541,755, filedOctober 20, 1955.

The apparatus described in my foregoing application for enabling adictator to listen back to selected portions of his recorded dictationis adapted to perform all necessary operations in placing the machineinto reproducing condition at a backspaced point along the record in response to a single control manipulation performed on the machine. Theseconditioning operations comprise shifting the machine from recording toreproducing condition, backspacing the carriage for the translatingdevice and starting the machine. This series of conditioning operationsmust be performed in proper sequence. In the foregoing application theproper timing was obtained by a mechanism involving the clutch of thedrive mechanism. The present invention resides in a novel listeningbackcontrol system which is adapted particularly for use with dictatingmachines which do not employ a drive clutch but which employ instead aso-called quick-start motor.

An object of the invention is to provide a novel control system forconverting a dictating machine from a recording condition into an activelistening-back condition in response to a single manipulation performedon the machine.

Another object is to provide such a novel control system which isadapted particularly for use with dictating machines employing aquick-start drive motor.

A further object is to provide such listening-back control system for adictating machine wherein deenergization of the backspacing mechanismupon each activation of the system is accomplished in proper timingrelationship by means responsive to the start of rotation of the recordsupport.

Other objects and features of my invention will be apparent from thefollowing description and the appended claims.

In the description of my invention reference is had to the accompanyingdrawings, of which:

Figure 1 is a fractional plan view of the operating mechanism of adictating machine embodying my invention, the machine being shownwithout a cover and with an intermediate section cut away;

Figure 2 is a righthand elevation of the mechanism shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on the line 33 of Figure 2; and

Figure 4 is a schematic circuit diagram showing the control circuit ofthe dictating machine.

The dictating machine shown in Figures 14 comprises a base having leftand right side standards 11 and 12. Journaled in these standards is adrum 13 having a peripheral layer as of resilient material for carrying2,855,205 Patented Oct. 7, 1958 a rectangular magnetic sheet record inwrap-around relation thereto as in the manner disclosed in RobertsPatent 2,653,819, dated September 29, 1953. Such a sheet record hasapertures in the leading corner portions thereof engageable byrespective hooks 14 near the ends of the drum to propel the sheet recordfrom its leading edge as the drum is advanced. The drum may haveperipheral end flanges 15 or other suitable means for locating the sheetrecord lengthwise thereof. The drum is preferably driven by aquick-start motor 16 through a drive train comprising, for example, apulley 17 on the shaft of the motor, a pulley 18 on a shaft 19 of thedrum and an intermediate stepped pulley 20 journaled at 21 as on a stud(not shown) mounted on the side standard 11. The drive pulley 17 iscoupled to the larger section of the stepped pulley 20 by a belt 22, andthe smaller section of the stepped pulley is coupled to the drivenpulley 18 by a belt 23, as indicated in Figure 4. The motor 16 is onehaving a high initial starting torque to enable it to bring the drum upto normal speed in a very short time, typically within 40 millisecondsor less. The advantage of using such quick-start motor is that iteliminates the need for both a drive clutch and a clutch-operablesolenoid.

At the front of the drum there is a carriage 27 for erase andrecord-reproduce heads. This carriage is a generally U-shaped castinghaving two spaced bars 30 and 31 slidably mounted on a rod 32 supportedat its ends by the side standards. The carriage is inclined from the rod32 towards the drum and on the rearward end thereof adjacent to the drumthere is a stud on which is journaled a wheel 33. This wheel rides on anangle iron 34 (fractionally shown) which is mounted at its ends on theside standards. The carriage has a central opening 35 traversed by asupport rod 36 on which are pivoted levers 37 and 38. Mounted on thelower end portions of these levers, respectively in vertically-alignedrelation to each other, are an erase head 28 and a recordreproduce head29. The levers have short arms projecting above the carriage to whichare connected respective springs 39 and 40 for biasing the heads againstthe drum. The carriage is advanced progressively along the drumconcurrently as the drum is rotated by means of a feed screw 41journalled at its ends in the side standards. This feed screw is rotatedin fixed relation with the drum by means of a gear train 42 connectingit to the shaft 19. Pivoted at 43 to the forepart of the carriage is alever 44 carrying a feed nut 45 which is held normally in engagementwith the feed screw 41 under influence of a torsion spring 46 connectedbetween the lever and the carriage. Whenever it is desired to shift thecarriage by hand, the lever 44 is first turned manually to disengage thefeed nut 45. For this reason the lever 44 has an upwardly-extendingfingerpiece 44a shown in Figure 2.

Provision is made for backspacing the carriage stepby-step by remotecontrol. This backspacing means comprises a backspacing screw 47rotatably mounted at its end portions in the side standards, and acooperating feed nut 48 mounted on the lever 44. The backspacing screwis rotated during a fraction of one turn to carry out each backspacingstep. This rotation is produced by a rotary solenoid 49 connected to thebackspacing screw by gearing 50. Upon each deenergization of thesolenoid 49 the backspacing screw is returned to its initial position bya torsion spring 51 connected between the screw and the side standard 11as shown in Figure l.

The backspacing screw has a flat 52 throughout its length whichconfronts the feed nut 48 at a clearance spacing therefrom when thebackspacing screw is in its initial position. In view of this clearancethe backspacing screw47 and feed nut 48 are normally disengaged so asnot to interfere with the normal forward drive of the carriage. When thebackspacing screw is turned by the solenoid, an edge portion of the flat52 first engages the nut 48 to cam the lever 44 to disengage the feednut 45 from the feed screw 41; and thereupon the thread of thebackspacing screw engages the nut 48. During the continuing rotation ofthe backspacing screw by the solenoid while the screw is in threadedengagement with the feed nut 48, the backspacing screw is shiftedlongitudinally in a backspacing direction by means of a cam plate 53secured to the right end portion of the screw 47 and coacting with aroller 54 journaled on an arm 55 of a bracket 56 secured to the rightside standard 12. Pressure of the cam 53 against the roller 54 ismaintained by force of the spring 51 acting on the backspacing screw asa compression spring. When the solenoid 49 is deenergized, thebackspacing screw 47 is returned until the feed nut 48 comes again intoregistration with the flat 52, without however then advancing thecarriage because of a yieldability in the mounting of the nut 48 in aforward direction. As the nut 48 comes again into registration with theflat 52 the feed nut 45 is returned into engagement with the feed screw41. Thus, repeated activation of the rotary solenoid 49 will backspacethe carriage by successive steps.

In order to stabilize the speed of the drum 13 there is provided avibration damper 57 comprising a cylindrical rotor 58 secured to theright end of the shaft 19 and a case 59 which encloses the rotor inclosely spaced relationship thereto. The case has a central opening inits inner side wall surrounded by a circular flange 60 in which isfitted a bearing 61 traversed by the shaft 19. The narrow space betweenthe rotor and case is filled with a viscous fluid 62 such as a suitableoil. The case is permitted to turn within a short range for controlpurposes. Normally the case assumes a position shown in Figure 4 whereina switch contact arm 63 secured to the case abuts against a stationaryswitch contact 64 under influence of a tension spring 65 connected to asecond arm 66 on the case. When the motor starts running the case isturned counterclockwise by the frictional resistance between it and therotor 58 until the arm 66 on the case abuts against a stop pin 67. Thislimited permissible movement of the case will cause the switch 63-64 toopen responsive to the starting of the drum 13. As soon as the drum hasreached normal speed the vibration damper exerts a speed-stabilizingfrictional drag on the drum proportional to its velocity because of theshear resistance of the viscous fluid between the closely-spacedopposing surfaces of the rotor 58 and case 59. When the drive motor isstopped the case is returned clockwise by the spring 65 to its formerposition to reclose the switch 63-64.

The audio system of the machine comprises a combined record-reproduceamplifier and oscillator 68 diagrammatically shown in Figure 4. Forsimplification purposes, the audio circuits are shown single-line withone side grounded. Signal input and output circuits of the amplifier areconnected by leads 69 and 70 to respective poles 71 and 72 of achangeover switch 73, and the auxiliary output is connected by a lead 74to a pole 75 of this same switch. All poles are tied mechanicallytogether for concurrent operation and are normally held in recordposition, as shown. In this position the pole 71 makes with its uppercontact to connect a receiver-microphone 76, acting as a microphone, tothe amplifier input via a lead 77; the pole 72 makes with its uppercontact to connect the recordreproducer head 29, acting as a recorder,to the amplifier output via a lead 78; and the pole 75 makes with itsassociated contact to connect the erase head 28 through a lead 79 to theoscillator output. The changeover switch is operable by a relay coil 80into reproduce position to cause the pole 71 to shift to its lowercontact to connect the record-reproduce head 29, acting as a reproducer,to the amplifier input, to cause the pole 72 to shift to its lowercontact to connect the amplifier output to the receiver-microphone 76,acting as a receiver, and to cause the pole 75 to break the oscillatorcircuit.

The change-over relay 80, the starting of the motor 16 and theactivating of the backspacing electromagnet 49 are controlled byrespective record and reproduce controls 81 and 82 on a handpiece 83having a head portion housing the receiver-microphone 76. The record andreproduce controls may comprise extending buttons on a rocker 84 pivotedat its central portion to the handpiece as at 85. This rocker is biasedinto a neutral position as by a two-pronged spring 86 shown in Figure 4.

When the record button 81 is depressed, a bridging member 87 on therocker 84 is moved into engagement with a. pair of contacts 88 connectedserially in the power circuit 89 of the motor 16. Since the changeoverswitch 73 is normally in record position, a starting and stopping of themotor by pressing and releasing the record button 81 is all that isrequired to start and stop the machine for recording, it beingunderstood that the amplifier is already in an activated condition byconnection to an A. C. power supply indicated at 90.

In order to listen back to ones recorded dictation, as forreconstructing ones train of thoughts should the dictator be interruptedin the recording operation as by a telephone call or the like, thedictator need only press the reproduce button 82 one or more times,depending upon how far back the reproduction is to start, and thencontinue to hold the reproduce button down so long as it is desired thatthe reproducing operation is to continue. When the reproducing controlis depressed, two bridging members 91 and 92 are engaged with respectivepairs of contacts 93 and 94. The closing of the contacts 93 againconnects the motor to the power supply to start the machine. The closingof the contacts 94 connects the changeover relay 80 across a D. C.potential source indicated by the terminals 95 to cause the change-overswitch 73 to be operated into reproduce position; also, the closing ofthe contacts 94 serves to connect the backspacing electromagnet 49across the same D. C. source through a circuit comprising a lead 96,contacts 63-64, a lead 97, the backspacing electromagnet 49, a lead 98,normally closed switch 103 and switch contacts 94. Consequently, whenthe reproduce button is depressed three things occur: (1) the motor 16is started, (2) the changeover relay 80 is operated to reproduceposition, and (3) the backspacing electromagnet 49 is energized. Myinvention is concerned particularly with the relative timing of thestarting of the motor and the operation of the backspacingelectromagnet. Typically, the motor 16, being of a quick-start type,will require from 30 to 40 milliseconds to reach normal speed because ofthe inertia of the driven parts of the operating mechanism, especiallythe drum 13. In this respect it may be noted that the vibration damper57 does not contribute substantially to the delay of the drive systemreaching normal speed because its drive resistance, being proportionalto velocity, does not impose any appreciable load on the motor at theoutset. The backspacing of the electromagnet will, however, operate muchfaster, typically in about 10 milliseconds. By such operation, as beforeexplained, the backspacing screw 47 is turned to disengage the feed nut45 from the feed screw and to backspace the carriage by one step. Untilthe backspacing electromagnet is next deenergized the machine cannotoperate because of the feed nut 45 being disengaged from the feed screw41. However, by my invention, the backspacing electromagnet isdeenergized in response to the initial starting of the drum by the motor16. As a result, by the time the motor reaches substantially normaldriving speed the backspacing electromagnet will have returned to itsinitial position and the feed nut 45 will be reengaged with the feedscrew. In accordance with the broader aspects of my invention, thebackspacing electromagnet may be deenergized by any suitable couplingwith the recordsupporting drum or other similar driven parts. However, Ipreferably open the circuit of the backspacing electromagnet by themovement of the case of the vibration damper 57. For this purpose, asbefore described, the case of the vibration damper is shiftable from thefullline positioning to the dash-line positioning of the parts shown inFigure 4 as the drum is started. By suitable selection of the tensioningof the spring 65, this shifting will occur to open the switch 63-64 whenthe drum has reached about one-half normal speed, which will betypically in about 15 to 20 milliseconds. Thus, upon depressing thereproduce button the sequence of operation of the drive and backspacingmechanisms is as follows: (1) both the motor 16 and the backspacingelectromagnet 49 are at first simultaneously energized, (2) thebackspacing electromagnet is operated to backspace the carriage by onestep within approximately milliseconds (3) the drum 13 will reachapproximately half normal speed in about 20 milliseconds and in responsethereto the switch contacts 63-64 are opened to cause deenergization ofthe back spacing electromagnet and immediate return of the backspacingfeed screw 47 with reengagement of the feed nut 45 with the feed screw41, and (4) in about 30 to 40 milliseconds the drum will reach normalspeed and forward drive of the carriage will have been resumed forreproducing the recorded dictation at the backspaced position. If thereproducing button is depressed several times in succession, thebackspacing electromagnet will be operated successively to step thecarriage back by successive steps so that when the reproducing button isretained in operated position the machine will start to reproduce therecorded matter from such farther backspaced position.

In order that the machine will be shifted automatically into reproducingcondition when the carriage is backspaced manually, a switch 100 isprovided in the circuit of the change-over solenoid 80 which is operableby the lever 44 as the lever is shifted to disengage the feed nut 45from the feed screw 41. As shown in Figure 4, this operating circuit forthe change-over relay comprises the D. C. source 95, a lead 101, theswitch 100, a lead 102 and the relay 80. A second switch 103 is coupledmechanically to the switch 100, as represented by the tie line 104, toopen the circuit of the backspacing electromagnet 49 so that thiselectromagnet will not be operated when the carriage is manuallyshifted.

The particular embodiment of my invention herein shown and described isintended only as being illustrative and not lirnitative of my inventionsince the same is subject to many changes and modifications withoutdeparture from the scope of my invention, which I endeavor to expressaccording to the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a dictating machine including a rotatable support for a record, arecord-cooperable translating means and a movable carriage therefor: thecombination of a first electrically-energizable means for startingrotation of said record support and advancing movement of said carriage;a second electrically-energizable means for backspacing said carriage,said first means being characterized as having a greater delay instarting than said second means; means for concurrently energizing saidfirst and second means; and means responsive to rotation of said supportfor deeuergizing said second means.

2. The combination set forth in claim 1 wherein said last-stated meanscomprises a switch connected in the energizing circuit of said secondmeans; and operating means for said switch frictionally coupled to saidrecord support to operate the switch in response to a rotation of saidsupport.

3. In a dictating machine including a rotatable support for a record, arecord-cooperable translating means and a carriage therefor: thecombination of a drive motor coupled to said record support and carriagefor rotating said support and advancing said carriage; anelectricallyenergizable means for backspacing said carriage; a startstopcontrol operable into start position to energize concurrently said drivemotor and backspacing means, said drive motor requiring a predeterminedperiod following the energization thereof to bring said record supportto normal speed and said backspacing means being adapted to come intofull operation in substantially less than said predetermined period; andmeans responsive to rotation of said record support for deeuergizingsaid backspacing means independently of the positioning of saidstartstop control.

4. The combination set forth in claim 3 wherein said last-stated meanscomprises a vibration damper adapted to stabilize the speed of saidrecord support and comprising a rotor coupled to said record support, anangularlyshiftable case surrounding said rotor and containing a viscousfluid, spring means normally holding said case in one position andyieldable to frictional forces transmitted to the case through saidviscous fluid when said rotor is started to cause said case to assume adisplaced position, and a switch in circuit with said backspacing meansoperated by the displacement of said case.

5. In a dictating machine including a rotatable supporting device for arecord, a record-cooperable translating device and a movable carriagefor one of said devices: the combination of electrically-energizabledrive means for said record support and carriage; a startstop switch forsaid drive means; electrically-operable backspacing means for saidcarriage eflective upon each energization thereof to backspace saidcarriage by one step; a circuit for said backspacing means; means forenergizing said backspacing means as said start-stop switch is operatedto start position; and means operable by said drive means before thesame reaches normal speed for deeuergizing said backspacing means.

No references cited.

